NEW DELHI BI-WEEKLY ESTH REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002712 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, STATE FOR SCA/INS STATE FOR STAS STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS HHS PASS TO NIH STATE PASS TO USAID STATE FOR SCA, OES (STAS FEDOROFF),OES/PCI STEWART, STATE FOR OES/IHB MURPHY PASS TO HHS/OGHA (STEIGER/ABDOO/VALDEZ), PASS TO CDC (BLOUNT/FARRELL),NIH/FIC PASS TO CDC GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY), FDA FOR LUMPKIN/WELSCH GENEVA FDA FOR HOFMAN PASS TO MAS/DAS/JESTRADA PASS TO MAC/DAS/HVINEYARD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO SENV AMED CASC KSCA ETRD BEXP EINV PGOV TSPL TRGY, TNGD, EIND, ENRG, KGHG, IN SUBJECT: NEW DELHI BI-WEEKLY ESTH REPORT NEW DELHI 00002712 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. SUMMARY: This edition of the New Delhi ESTH biweekly includes a summary on the Medical Device Regulation and Medical Education discussions with the Ministry of Health Officials; Challenges in Urban Environment Management; and follow up meetings and action plan with National HV Reference Labs. END SUMMARY. -------------- Update on Medical Device Regulation and Medical Education -------------- ¶2. Health Attache met with Ministry of Health (MOH) Joint Secretary (J/S) Debasish Panda to discuss the role of the Ministry of Health and that of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in the proposed regulation of Medical devices in India and the update on regulatory issues. J/S Panda identified the role of his Ministry in the proposed legislation of medical devices as being in the area of Category A and B medical devices that will include any medical device used on a patient and/or implantable devices in human subjects. J/S Panda said that since the expertise of medical instrumentation, such as x-ray machines, MRI, etc lies with the MOST this part of the regulation can be offered to the MOST. ¶3. Health Attache also discussed and offered U.S. technical cooperation in the field of medical education with J/S Panda. J/S Panda jumped on the offer and proposed a two-step consultation. The first step, a stakeholder's meeting proposed in first two weeks of November this year in which leaders in medical education will develop a multi-year strategy for improving quality medical education. This will be followed by step 2, a national consultation to put the recommendations of the November stakeholder's meeting into action. -------------- Urban Environment Challenges -------------- ¶4. During a Sept 29 - 3 Oct visit to West Bengal EmbOffs met with West Bengal officials and NGOs and discussed Urban environmental issues, wetlands and wildlife management. With a twelve million population and increasing developmental demands, urban environmental management is a serious challenge facing Kolkota, the capital city of the eastern state of West Bengal (WB). While WB environment officials claim to have more stringent environmental norms and better implementation records compared to the Centre, it is still an arduous journey for city officials fighting environmental degradation. The city that has a population density as high as 29000 per sq/km has a 100 year old sewage system with just a couple of treatment plants that do not operate at optimum capacity. Hence, to date most of Kolkata continues to use its mosaic of wetlands for sewage treatment. -------------- National HIV Reference Labs (NRLs) follow up meeting and action plan -------------- ¶5. The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has initiated an action plan to improve the level of HIV testing services in India following an assessment of India's 13 National Reference NEW DELHI 00002712 002.2 OF 002 Laboratories by HHS/CDC and WHO. A follow up meeting, held in New Delhi September 23-25 included highlights of deficiencies and a time phased action plan for accreditation of India's reference laboratories by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). The action plan is to have all NRLs apply for NABL accreditation within 12 months (six to apply within six months and 7 to apply within 12 months). Once the NABL accreditation is achieved, quality assurance of HIV testing in India will be further strengthened. These action steps are supported by commitments from laboratory directors and NACO. WHITE